Robert Trimble

Colonel Robert Trimble (1824 – 5 September 1899) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Taranaki, New Zealand. He was briefly a judge at the Native Land Court.

Early life

Trimble was born near Belfast, Ireland, in 1824. He did his apprenticeship as a spinner at Sion Mills. He emigrated to America at age 21, where he remained for two or three years. While there, he was exposed to William Henry Channing's unitarianism, which he adopted instead of his presbyterian upbringing. He then moved to Manchester and then to Liverpool, where he worked for the American linen commission merchants Watson and Co.

In 1856, he married Jane Heywood of Manchester. She was the eldest daughter of Abel Heywood, who at the time was alderman and later became Mayor of Manchester. Their son W. H. Trimble became the first librarian at the Hocken Collections.

While in Manchester, he became interested in the volunteer movement and he joined the Liverpool Irish. He then joined the 15th Lancashire Artillery Volunteers, where he financed an additional battery. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel and upon leaving Manchester, was promoted to honorary colonel. The leading personalities of Manchester attended his leaving dinner in 1875.

Trimble settled with his family near Inglewood on 2,000 acres (810 ha) of land purchased from the provincial government, on which he established a sawmill.

Political career

After the abolition of provincial government, he became the first chairman of the Inglewood Town Board. He represented the Grey and Bell electorate from 1879 to 1881, and then the Taranaki electorate from 1881 to 1887 when he was defeated. He contested the New Plymouth electorate in the 1893 election and was beaten by the incumbent, Edward Metcalf Smith.

Later, he was a judge at the Native Land Court.

Death

Trimble died on 5 September 1899 at New Plymouth after having been unwell for a long time. He was survived by his wife, four sons and three daughters.